Santee (1973) User Reviews

Meaning no disrespect, Ed "missed it by that much"

[Bob-45 · 6/10 · 10 February 2009]

I spoke to Ed Platt in early 1974, not long before his death. If he was troubled by the financial failure of "Santee," he didn't show it; he was warm and unpretentious. We had a common interest in video production, which probably helped him open up. In any event, I didn't see "Santee" for more than 35 years; I must say, Ed's innovative use of video to film hurt the movie; and, as a relatively novice producer, Ed should have played it safe and stayed with film. The interior shots appear horribly lit, and the initial scenes are cluttered and almost tedious. However, after Glenn Ford shows up, the movie loosens up, and we get a pretty well written, expertly acted movie. The casting, particularly of Ford, Michael Burns, Harry Townes and Jay Silverheels is especially inspired. Dana Wynter seems an odd choice, especially since the reddish lighting makes her look Native American, and she can't completely disguise her British accent. However, Wynter's chemistry with Ford and Burns is downright terrific, and she dominates every scene.

"Santee" needs more fleshing out, and the money spent on the flashback could have been been spent building Ford's relationship with Burns. The ending comes too soon and too abruptly. Nonetheless, "Santee" is one of Ford's better westerns, certainly better than "A Time for Killing," "Day of the Evil Gun" and "The Last Challenge." As Ford's last starring western it is a flawed, if fitting tribute to one of the great cowboy actors.

I give "Santee" a "6".

Unconvincing and disappointing

[Marlburian · 5/10 · 11 January 2006]

The best features of this film are the scenery and Jay Silverheels in a part where he can show some emotions, compared with his stonefaced Tonto. In fact it's Ford who is bland for much of the film, despite the tragic loss of his son which is meant to have shaped his character; only in the very last scene does he convey real emotion - without saying a word.

The plot is unconvincing several times over. At the beginning one would have thought four tough guys could have stood and fought rather than flee from Santee, renowned bounty-hunter he may be. After a brief wish for revenge, the orphaned Jody seems to too readily accept Santee as a surrogate father, and in the version of the film I saw I never noticed any evidence that he had become a gunman competent enough to accompany Santee against six more tough guys.

A disappointment.

Sensitive and agreeable Western about a tough bounty hunter and his prótegé

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 7 October 2008]

This unknown movie Western deals with a relentlessly obstinate bounty-hunter named Santee (Glenn Ford). He's the best tracker in the west, but sometimes justice can be hard to find . As the bounty hunter takes in the son of a man he killed . Santee develops a paternal relationship with the son named Jody (Michael Burns) of a man (Robert J. Wilke) he killed . Santee takes him for his ranch named Three Arrows where live his wife (Dana Wynter) and his Indian foreman (Jay Silverheels). Santee and his wife take Jody in and a father-son relationship begins to grow . But bandits led by a nasty villain named Banner (John Larch) arrive in the little town killing and robbing bank , then Santee helped by Jody take the law on their own hands .

This average Western contains action , drama , shootouts , riding pursuits and an enjoyable father and adopted son relationship with tragedy included . Fine acting by veteran Glenn Ford supported by attractive Dana Wynter and a newcomer Michael Burns . Good support cast such as Robert J Wilke , Robert Donner , John Larch and Tonto's Jay Silverheels . Colorful cinematography with glamorous landscapes by cameraman Donald Morgan . Catching musical score with agreeable song at the beginning and the ending . Spectacular final gunplay plenty of shooting and death with dramatic final . The motion picture was middlingly directed by Gary Nelson . He's an usual TV director as episodes (Disneyland) as long time television movies (Murder in Coweta County , his best film) and occasionally cinema director (Allan Quatermain in the lost city of gold) ; his most known and successful film was 'The black hole' .

Early example of Electronic Cinema

[marcW-2 · 9 February 2004]

Few people remember that SANTEE was one of the very first feature films (and almost definitely the first Western) shot on videotape. Noted character actor Ed Platt, famous for his role as "The Chief" in the TV series GET SMART, reportedly invested his own money in this film, intending to champion the concept of shooting movies economically on videotape.

The process used portable Philips (aka Norelco) video cameras and primitive Ampex 2" videotape recorders, which they powered via batteries while shooting on-location the desert and in and around California and Nevada. A 1973 issue of AMERICAN

CINEMATOGRAPHER covered the work done by director of photography Don Morgan and his crew, and went in-depth on the differences between shooting on film and shooting on video. Sadly, SANTEE was a flop in theaters, and Ed Platt lost his money and died less than a year after the movie was released.

Three decades later, innovative filmmakers like Robert Rodriguez and George Lucas are using digital video gear to shoot movies. Ed Platt was definitely ahead of his time on SANTEE; sadly, he never lived to see the technology get to the point where it would work.

Make the first shot count Jody.

[hitchcockthelegend · 6/10 · 2 December 2011]

Santee is directed by Gary Nelson and written by Brand Bell. It stars Glenn Ford, Michael Burns, Dana Wynter and Jay Silverheels. Music is scored by Don Rand and photography is by Donald Morgan. Plot finds Ford as seasoned bounty hunter Santee, who after killing the outlaw father of young Jody Deaks (Burns), takes him under his wing at his Three Arrows Ranch. With both of them nursing loses in their lives, they both come to be great for each other, but just as harmony is abundant at the ranch, news comes that the outlaw gang responsible for Santee's pain is back in town.

No country for empty pockets and a flat stomach.

Primarily shot on location in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santee is notable for a couple of things. Firstly it was the last time that Western legend Ford would play a lead role in the genre, secondly is that it was filmed on video tape. Some debate exists as to if it was the first film to be shot that way, but certainly the research suggests it was definitely the first Western. Santee is a strange film in many ways, for sure as a film it's not a great lead role send off for Ford, but he is actually very good in it. The story is a good one from Bell, full of emotional worth and maintaining interest throughout, while there's plenty of action and blood shed within the plot. The dialogue, too, often has some intelligence about it. But it's so poorly put together it becomes a frustrating watching experience.

The video tape filming doesn't work, the colour is often dull and the night interiors are lifeless. While a couple of close ups appear to suddenly become pan and scan! Other problem comes with there being no truly great villain to underpin the destinies of Santee and Jody Deaks. The Banner (John Larch) gang exist, get a couple of small scenes, but that's about it until the bloody finale. The cast around Ford are OK, Wynter doesn't quite look right for a ranch gal lover, but makes a mark as a loyal wife and surrogate mother. Burns has the youthful naivety just right, but isn't helped by the screenplay having him become a killing man too quickly, and Silverheels turns in a good one as the wise ranch hand at Three Arrows. The film is very 70s in look and feel, something that can take you out of the period setting, more so with Rand's foot tapping music accompaniment. Bonus, though, on the music front, is the feature song in the picture, "Jody," that is song by Paul Revere and The Raiders, it's a beautiful ballad and carries with it the requisite emotional heft.

An enjoyable Western with one or two tricks up its sleeve, but the problems are evident and stop it from being a must see for anyone other than Western and Glenn Ford purists. 6/10

Decent Western

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 1 September 2015]

A bounty hunter (Glenn Ford) takes in the son (Michael Burns) of a man he killed.

I have never been a huge fan of the western genre. Some are incredible, but most seem to be rather blah. One could say that about any genre, I suppose. I mean, heck, I love horror and I would be the first to admit that most of it is garbage. But it is garbage that still generally entertains me. The western, for the most part, is not something I understand.

This one is alright. Adopting a kid (who is really more of a young adult) in the west is a good story, and Glenn Ford is a decent actor. As far as the genre goes, this is very much middle ground.

Marshaling Doesn't Give Him The Latitude To Deal With Bad Guys

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 19 March 2008]

Glenn Ford who was associated with some of the best westerns ever made has his last starring role in the genre in Santee. Although he would do more westerns up to almost the end of his career, he would no longer be the leading man/action hero in any of them.

Ford was 57 when he made Santee and even in this one he's transitioning to be a father figure, much the same way John Wayne was in films like Big Jake, Rio Lobo, and The Cowboys.

Unfortunately Santee takes it's plot from a combination of Henry Fonda's The Tin Star and Robert Mitchum's Young Billy Young. Ford is a former lawman, turned bounty hunter who decides that marshaling doesn't give him quite the latitude he needs to deal with bad guys. It also doesn't pay as well. But having his son shot down by John Larch and his gang was enough to turn him bitter.

He's also forced to kill Robert J. Wilkie another outlaw who has a son in Michael Burns. But he takes Burns into his home. Truth be told there wasn't much attachment there anyway, Burns hardly knew him.

Jay Silverheels has the best part in the film as Ford's loquacious ranch foreman. I do believe he had more dialog here than in over 200 episodes of The Lone Ranger. Dana Wynter has a few scenes as Ford's wife and makes them count.

But Santee is just a tired rehash of a pair of better films. Glenn Ford fans will like it though.

Disappointing ending

[Tony_J61 · 7/10 · 2 December 2009]

Nothing spectacular about this movie. An aging Glenn Ford carried it as well as any other he's done.

Michael Burns did very well in his role. Just a shame that he gave it all away a few years later.

An older Jay Silverheels was good to see, after starring in the Lone Ranger, a few decades before this movie was made. Not sure I've ever heard him speak so many lines. :-)

The ending was nonsensical and unnecessary. Life could have gone on just as Santee and his wife wished, however, for some reason, the screenwriter and/or director decided to disappoint the viewer.

Worth a look, if you enjoy Ford's work, but that's about it.

Your basic western, made memorable by the late Silverheels

[funkyfry · 5/10 · 31 October 2002]

Thoroughly mediocre Ford vehicle has him as the West's toughest bounty hunter (?!?). He lets the son of the guy he just killed follow him around, then eventually gives him a job. The son gives up his plans for revenge, opting to become a bounty hunter himself instead. Wynter is given a role that is thankless window dressing, and Silverheels is the only person in the movie who looks in shape for the West. Some good action, and it was good to see Silverheels in a movie again (though his part was fairly small), but bare plot goes on too long for its own good.

Glen Ford as a bounty hunter

[starwood-34136 · 7/10 · 22 April 2021]

According to articles Ford refused to play a criminal after 3-10 to Yuma because he worried about his imagine. I can't fault his acting although he was overweight and and had difficulty getting on and off his horse several times He always had a amazing unique voice that had several ranges to it. The plot kept me interested and the scenery was amazing. Can't fault the actors for the problems with the film and camera. Certainly hated the ending. Ford carried his role well as substitute father, hunter, friend, husband and rancher. Burns, Silverheels and the rest of supporting cast does not disappoint. Lot to fit in a movie and actually could have been 3 with a little creative writing. Would recommend to all western fans. Found the movie free on YouTube.

Surely Not My Favourite

[jmarinko-1 · 4/10 · 27 October 2007]

Yesterday in local DVD-store I saw let's say an attractive poster with Glenn Ford. Now when I saw the film I am totally disappointed. There are many weak parts of the script and casting was bad to say the least. For example-first: the part of the tough bounty hunter definitely doesn't fit to old Glenn Ford. Second: he lets the son of the guy he just killed follow him around, then eventually gives him a job and home.Finally Jody accepts Santee as his own father(OMG!). And one of the most "tragic" and funniest things is that Jody was practicing to become bounty hunter and he couldn't hit target from couple of meters , but in the one of the final scenes he kills three members of the Banner's gang. Now you probably think there is no need to see this film. But actually there is a few bright things: Jody's father (Robert J. Wilke) and John Crow (Jay Silverheels). And that's all I'm afraid. If you are not western fan there is no reason to watch this film.

4\10 totally deserved

Quite possibly the best movie ever produced by a former Chief of CONTROL

[Mike86 · 10/10 · 16 February 1999]

This western was produced by Ed Platt and was directed by Gary Nelson. It's a virtual GS reunion! You should go rent it. And if that's not enough reason to rent it, why, it stars Glenn Ford!

video mystery solved

[ironjade · 7/10 · 23 March 2006]

I'm currently watching this on my DVD HD and the pitch black night scenes made me wonder if this had been shot on tape. Now I know.

The aspect ratio also looks a bit odd even though the TV is set correctly at widescreen. It seems to have been enlarged and slightly horizontally squashed just enough to be annoying.

Something similar seems to have been done to the episodes of Bonanza (along with a change of theme music) which has its own UK satellite channel.

I can see why electronic cinema never really caught on : even modern digital video efforts usually look like crap unless they're HD and lit by a genius.

A video innovation

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 9 February 2021]

Here's some trivia you can use on your friends. Santee was one of the first motion pictures to be shot electronically on videotape, using Norelco PCP-70 portable plumbicon NTSC cameras and portable Ampex VR-3000 2" VTRs.

Director Gary Nelson mainly worked in TV before this, but he has some interesting films to his credit, like the original Freaky Friday, The Black Hole and the Mike Hammer TV movies.

Jody has finally reconnected with his father, just in time to learn that he's an outlaw on the run from a bounty hunter named Santee (Glenn Ford). There's not any time for a reunion as the entire gang gets gunned down and Jody decides that he'll kill Santee himself. However, they end up becoming father and son, as Jody may have lost his father, but the old gunslinger lost his son.

This has a fun cast, with Dana Wynter (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Jay Silverheels (Tonto himself, who for some reason has been showing up in nearly every movie I've watched lately), Robert Donner (who also is in Nelson's Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold), Dark Brothers repertory actor Jack Baker, X Brands (the oddly named actor who may have been of German decent and from Kansas City, but always played Native Americans), Chuck Courtney (who played Daniel Reid Jr. on The Lone Ranger, the character who would grow up to be the father of The Green Hornet) and Lindsay Crosby (Bigfoot).

This was produced by Edward Platt, The Chief on Get Smart, who raised the money to buy the videocameras. One can only assume that he got Nelson the job of directing the TV movie Get Smart, Again.

Okay western is saddled with a sub-par script and experimental photography.

[Poseidon-3 · 13 February 2009]

Western films were somewhat on the wane when this one was released and, while it isn't without some merits, it tends to be a pretty routine affair. An early attempt at videography versus film results in a cheap-looking product that ranges from perfectly acceptable to downright awful. Ford plays a bounty hunter who leaves his thriving spread periodically to track down outlaws and bring them to justice (or to the grave!) Driven by a shattering incident in his past, he feels an obligation to do away with as many cretins as he can. One day, after doing in a wanted man, he takes the son (Burns) into his custody, though the son has made it clear that he will one day exact revenge on Ford for the killing. As the pair begin to forge a tenuous relationship, aided by the soothing presence of Ford's wife Wynter and their ranch hand Silverheels, an outlaw gang rides into town threatening to wreck everyone's lives. Ford gives a solid performance here, his own advancing age adding to the weariness of the character. Burns is also decent. Their relationship is never as deeply delineated as one would like, though they share a certain amount of rapport. Wynter makes the most of her negligible scenes. Carelessly costumed in a variety of dull, mismatched pieces, she, thanks to the unusual filming method, sometimes looks wonderful and then other times looks a bit haggard. Silverheels delivers his lines with a sense of the stoic, iconic character of Tonto that he was famous for, but at least gets to display a certain amount of animation and emotion besides. Townes turns in a good performance as the town sheriff who inherited the job from Ford. Thankfully, the bulk of the film is shot outdoors in the daytime and those scenes are generally good-looking. Sadly, most of the indoor scenes are murky and anything done at night is beyond horrible. Despite the healthy amount of bloodletting, this has an old-fashioned feel to it. The potential was there for a reflective, enthralling western, but the often-shoddy camera-work and the undercooked script rob it of that chance. Still, fans of Ford ought to enjoy seeing him in one of his last big roles while fans of the genre should find enough action in it to hold interest.

"Now we'll find out if he's as good a man as they say he is".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 11 December 2008]

Watching "Santee" on the Encore Western Channel wound up leaving a lot more questions than answers for me on a number of different levels. The most troublesome aspect of the story was young Jody Deakes' (Michael Burns) willing team up with Santee (Glenn Ford) following the confrontation and killing of his father. That seemed like just a little too much of a stretch from both sides of the coin. Putting myself in Jody's shoes, and even if my old man was an outlaw, I think at the very least I'd be looking to ride off and be glad I didn't catch a bullet myself. From Santee's perspective, there was always the distinct possibility that Jody could turn on him at a moment's notice, particularly after Jody made it an obvious threat.

So there's that. But even before the showdown that took out the elder Deakes (Robert J. Wilke), I was left wondering how much of a bad a-- Santee could possibly be that Deakes preferred to take it on the lam rather than have his gang mount a stand against him. There was ample time and distance to set up an ambush, even if Santee could have taken out a couple of them which would have seemed likely. I don't know, the whole story didn't seem to be set on a firm foundation, and I found myself scratching my head more than once.

But it was cool to see Jay Silverheels in a non-Tonto characterization as Santee's friend and hired hand. He showed a much greater range of acting ability than we ever got a chance to see as Lone Ranger's sidekick. When he got misty eyed at the thought of Santee riding off to face the Banner's, I was reminded of that memorable anti-pollution commercial of the era in which Iron Eyes Cody shed a tear for a troubled environment; seems to me that Silverheels might have been just as effective. And speaking of Silverheels/Tonto, I was intrigued by the appearance of John Hart's name in the opening credits. Though I couldn't pick him out in the picture as the character Cobbles, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of him and Silverheels in a scene together. Not many fans know that Hart appeared in a little over fifty episodes as The Lone Ranger when Clayton Moore sat out a season in a contract dispute.

Another puzzling aspect of the picture had to do with the cinematography. As gorgeous and bright as the the daytime landscape scenes appeared to be, they were offset by the murky, almost muddy night time and darkened interior photography. I think a few other reviewers on this board might have offered an insight into that, as this was an early attempt to film with videotape. It wasn't enough to distract from the picture too much, but it did leave another one of those question marks.

And for the biggest question mark of all - what was with that song 'Jody' ??? It sounded so out of place in a Western drama that I had trouble containing a compulsion to laugh out loud. Performed by Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders no less, not the creative association I would have come up with if I were producing this picture. But I didn't, so that's that.

Anyway, Glenn Ford fans will want to catch him in one of his final leading roles, but that might be the single reason to recommend watching "Santee". Even so, I had to wince a few times, that is, whenever he got up on his horse - I didn't think he'd make it. In addition to his arsenal, he was packing on quite a few pounds at this stage of his career. He may have had a feared reputation as a bounty hunter, but he sure was no Josh Randall.

Not the best of reunions...

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 14 May 2015]

"Santee" is a decent enough film, but it's "Jody" song that comes and goes throughout the movie is reason enough to deduct a point!

The film begins with a really BAD family reunion. Jody, a 19 year- old guy, comes upon his father and three of his 'friends'. It seems that Jody barely knows his dad and was raised by his divorced mother. Well, wouldn't you know that the father and his men are on the run from the law! Soon, a bounty hunter, Santee (Glenn Ford), shows and quickly dispatches the guilty four men--leaving Jody a bit shocked to say the least! Jody is angry enough at Santee to kill...but inexplicably, Santee is nice to him and realizes he was not involved with his father's gang and their crimes. What follows is a bonding between Jody and Santee, as Santee takes him home with him and treats him decently. All this bromance, however, is short- lived, as the men who wronged Santee so long ago and set him on a life as a bounty hunter arrive in town--and they are really bad dudes!

The film has a rather original plot and I enjoyed it. But 1970s god-awful music took away, somewhat, from my enjoyment. Still, despite this, it's worth your time. Plus, you get to see Jay Silverheels in a role much more interesting than playing Tonto to the Lone Ranger.

A Young Man and a Bounty Hunter

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 10 November 2021]

This film essentially begins with a young man by the name of "Jody" (Michael Burns) waiting at a remote way station for his father "Deaks" (Robert J. Wilke) to come along. Although he hasn't seen his father in an extremely long time, the revelation that he is an outlaw on the run with four other men doesn't affect him that much since after the recent death of his mother he has nobody else to turn to. The problem is that they are being pursued by an extremely skilled bounty hunter named "Santee" (Glenn Ford) who has a reputation of always getting his intended target. So when his father is killed by the bounty hunter, Jody has a choice on whether to kill Santee in revenge or adapt to the situation and learn from him--with both options presenting extreme danger. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this wasn't necessarily a bad film but I didn't care for the overly sentimental plot or the rather corny theme song either. To be sure, Glenn Ford performed in his usual solid manner but in this case it wasn't enough for me to rate this film higher than I have.

Great scenery pretty good western.

[cerealmon · 6/10 · 6 July 2019]

Another movie from the Mill Creek 200 cult cinema box set.

Pretty good western about a bounty hunter who takes in the boy of the man he killed. Teaches him the ropes and becomes like a father to him.

I liked this, not to big on westerns but very well done. Glen Ford is great as Santee. All around good movie.

A unique western with lots of heart among the excessive violence.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 6 September 2022]

Perhaps the theme song "Jodie" (sung by Paul Revere and The Raiders) set the film up to be a bit more human interest and less typical of the more violent westerns of the time that utilized more gore than was probably necessary. Yes, there's the scene of the two men being hung upside down covered in blood at the beginning, and the shooting of gang leader Robert Wilke by bounty hunter Glenn Ford right in front of his son, Michael Burns. It was a reunion for father and son right before Wilke was killed, so it seems like there wasn't time for loyalty to sprout from that especially since he had abandoned Burns' mother.

Ford feel sorry for the young Burns so he takes him home and makes him part of the family which includes Ford's wife, the young looking Dana Wynter (about 15 years younger than Ford), and his ranch foreman, a very good Jay Silverheels who is the voice of reason in this home and provides the young Burns with a good education. But the surviving members of Wilke's gang are out for revenge so the peace that occurs after Burns settles in is only temporary. Ford seeks revenge because years ago, this gang was responsible for the death of his own son.

For a film shot on video, this looks pretty good. I've seen lots of films from the '70s poorly filmed that were done with cheaper quality film stock, and this looks a lot better than those. Ford does a good job but doesn't really say a lot, but he's sincere in his efforts to be a foster father to the already grown young man he takes in. Burns tries to keep up with the three veteran actors he's working with, and comes off satisfactorily if not anything more. Wynter has a couple of good scenes, but for the most part, she's overshadowed by Ford and Silverheels who really knows how to turn a nothing part into something special. This isn't anything special among 70's westerns, but has a few interesting twists and turns that makes it worth looking for.